widen
Meaning
to become wider, or to make something wider
to increase in range, amount, or degree
Structure
Usage
the city plans to widen the road to reduce traffic congestion.
his eyes widened in surprise when he heard the news.
the investigation has widened to include several new suspects.
Etymology
The word 'widen' is a transparent English formation built from native Germanic elements. Its core, 'wide', descends from the Proto-Germanic wīdaz, which itself likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European root wi- ("apart, asunder"), conveying a sense of separation and thus, broad extent. The suffix '-en' is a productive verb-forming element in English, originating from the Old English '-nian', used to create verbs from adjectives, as seen in 'deepen', 'sharpen', and 'cheapen'. The literal construction "to make wide" perfectly captures the word's modern meanings, which range from the physical act of broadening something to the more abstract process of increasing scope or degree.
Analysis
- wide: from old english wīd ("wide, vast, spacious"). functions as the adjectival root describing extent. - en: from old english -nian, a verb-forming suffix. functions to convert an adjective into a verb meaning "to make or become (adjective)".